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Rumour Digital Foundry: A mid-generation Switch refresh was canceled internally

the_marmolade

the_marmolade

Quality Assurance Tester in Video Game Industry
Pronouns
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So I think at one point internally from what I can understand from talking to different developers, is that there was some sort of mid-generation Switch update planned at one point and that seems to be no longer happening. And thus it’s pretty clear that whatever they do next is going to be the actual next-generation hardware. I don’t think it’s going to be 2023.
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Think this deserves its own thread.
 
It makes sense. The past few years have shown it was not the best time to start manufacturing and shipping brand new hardware.
 
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Kinda read this as "Switch upgrade with beefed up specs is no longer happening". We'll definitely get something this year, Nintendo releases one handheld iteration every two year. But it won't be a "spec bump" like everyone once anticipated. Switch XXL? Switch Micro? Switch Vertical (GBC like)?
 
I think the revision that was planned was a Mariko based "Pro".

Doubt Drake has been canned at this point. At worst, delayed.
 
That's unfortunate, but to be expected at this point. Don't know if I expect it in 2023 anymore tbh.
I still think it will have years of cross gen just like PS4 and XBO are still having. After watching the GoW Ragnarok DF I'm not really afraid of how the cross gen games will look and play on current Switch if they go in that direction.
 
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Serif said:
I think the revision that was planned was a Mariko based "Pro".

Doubt Drake has been canned at this point. At worst, delayed.
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I'm of the same opinion, maybe it was Drake being released earlier or something, but I can't believe they'd cancel a hardware after they've spent tons of money on it.
 
Expecting Switch 2 for 2023/ToK is pure copium at this point tbh

The Switch is still selling super well and shortages/COVID no doubt slowed things down a bunch. Nintendo can easily manage for another year like this.
 
How does this stack up against the latest news in the hardware thread?

I'm also confused as to when this mid-generation model would have launched, unless it was planned instead of OLED for 2021? Do they mention a timeframe for it?

I can't imagine Nintendo targeted 2023 as the release year for a mid-gen refresh. 2023 would also be a little too late for a 'mid-gen refresh', which is why I was expecting them to launch something that might be marketed as part of the Switch family even if it was functionally a next generation upgrade. Plus, Nintendo are pretty firmly set on refreshing their hardware range every 2 years.
 
MisterSpo said:
How does this stack up against the latest news in the hardware thread?

I'm also confused as to when this mid-generation model would have launched, unless it was planned instead of OLED for 2021? Do they mention a timeframe for it?

I can't imagine Nintendo targeted 2023 as the release year for a mid-gen refresh. 2023 would also be a little too late for a 'mid-gen refresh', which is why I was expecting them to launch something that might be marketed as part of the Switch family even if it was functionally a next generation upgrade. Plus, Nintendo are pretty firmly set on refreshing their hardware range every 2 years.
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from my understanding, loose as it may be, the 2022 - 2023 device is the cancelled product in question
 
Who said this, Rich? Didn't have time to watch yet. If this is true I'm going to have to let it go completely, and just enjoy first party Switch games and the rest on PC. Such a bummer...
 
MisterSpo said:
I'm also confused as to when this mid-generation model would have launched, unless it was planned instead of OLED for 2021? Do they mention a timeframe for it?
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manfromthedam said:
Who said this, Rich? Didn't have time to watch yet. If this is true I'm going to have to let it go completely, and just enjoy first party Switch games and the rest on PC. Such a bummer...
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It was John and his specific words were:
I think at one point internally from what I can understand from talking to different developers is that there was some sort of mid generation switch update planned at one point and that is seems to no longer be happening and thus it's pretty clear that whatever they do next is going to be the actual Next Generation Hardware.
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"At one point" so no specific timeframe but the way DF is talking about the Switch, I don't think they mean mid-gen as in 'right now', since they also talk about the Switch losing some momentum and reaching the end of its life. My assumption is sometime in 2019-2020.
 
Serif said:
It was John and his specific words were:


"At one point" so no specific timeframe but the way DF is talking about the Switch, I don't think they mean mid-gen as in 'right now', since they also talk about the Switch losing some momentum and reaching the end of its life. My assumption is sometime in 2019-2020.
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Thanks Serif, watching now. It's interesting that Rich is/was still thinking 2023 - he's normally the pessimistic one. He did mention 2023 earlier in the year and I'd assume has great contacts. John was hoping for Switch 2 in 2021 but got caught in the OLED confusion, so I understand he's extra cautious, but his own contacts suggesting something is canceled is a bummer. Thinking if those devs might've meant a TX1+ midgen refresh or Drake...
 
On the third day of Christmas
Nintendo sent to me
A cancelled dev kit with Deep Learning Super Sampling Technology

Switch 2 early 2024 with 3D Mario?
 
For God's sake, my Switch Lite and Switch 2019 can barely work now (I don't know why the AC adapter keeps failing) and I don't want to buy an OLED model. Go next gen already!
 
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manfromthedam said:
Thinking if those devs might've meant a TX1+ midgen refresh or Drake...
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Worth noting that Oliver brings up the T239 (Drake) later on:

I think that if it ends up shipping with something like the uh Tegra t239 that was postulated at one point that'll be a massive increase in power for the switch
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John doesn't say anything to corroborate or contradict that there will be a Switch with T239. I think they all have some awareness of a next-gen Switch being worked on and have moved on from the idea of a Switch "Pro". And I'm guessing if T239 devkit work is in progress, devs will be wrapped up in NDAs so we won't have much info either way.

Which is fine as most of us have speculated that Drake, with its performance leap, is effectively Switch 2 and is unlikely to be canned considering the recency of its development - and that it'd be an expensive move by Nintendo to do so.
 
I don't think that this piece of information changes anything. IMO, the Drake isn't a Mid-gen revision, it's a brand new Switch based on everything we have seen/read.
 
Nothing indicates Next Generation Nintendo hardware being a 2024 launch, though. It could be a fall 2025 release for all we know. That would have been a sight to behold.

Yeah, I'm betting on 2025. I always felt 2025 is the perfect year for successor launch.
 
DittoM said:
Had a feeling. I honestly think the Switch OLED was supposed to be the Pro at one point, but was canned. Likely has to do with the pandemic
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same. i think it was supposed to have a stronger chip, but they just pushed it out of the door with the same old chip due to the silicon shortage.
 
Watch Drake switch be released this year anyway just to screw with DF.

Also i did get an OLED this Christmas so they absolutely will want to screw with me :_)
 
Switch hardware talk remains too confusing to become emotionally invested, unlike EPDonkey Kong. If that's not real, I'll throw my shoes at Nintendo's HQ.

Anyway, my understanding of this is that Switch Plus is canned but Switch 2 is going right ahead fine.
 
This makes sense. At this point, I’d rather wait until 2024 for a true successor anyway.
 
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Well one's thing's for sure, I cannot wait for this next console thing to release so i can finally stop hearing about a "mid-gen refresh"/"successor" talk...

...for all of -0.1 seconds before we go into that console's "mid-gen refresh"/"successor" talk.
 
I always felt the OLED was meant to be a Switch Pro but Covid caused plans to change and the "pro" specs to be dropped. I don't think we see Switch 2 till late 2023 at the earliest, probably sometime in 2024. Anyone hoping for Switch 2 with TotK May 2023 needs to stop huffing the hopium.
 
RochHoch said:
Expecting Switch 2 for 2023/ToK is pure copium at this point tbh

The Switch is still selling super well and shortages/COVID no doubt slowed things down a bunch. Nintendo can easily manage for another year like this.
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I never thought launching the Switch successor alongside BotW: Tears of the Kingdom made as much business sense as people tend to treat it. It's not at all the same scenario as Twilight Princess and BotW where they are coming off of largely unsuccessful systems. The Switch is at roughly 120 million sold at the moment and the vast majority of those owners are not going to be rushing to spend 400$+ just to play a game they can play on their original systems just for better performance.

It makes far more sense to launch later with a big exclusive like the next 3D Mario or the next Mario Kart and have a few more big exclusives lined up for the launch year.

Nintendo is not going to base their business around whatever the enthusiast media wants. They already have committed to long term updates for most of their biggest 2022 titles + Mario Kart 8 stuff. Splatoon 3, Xenoblade 3, Mario + Rabbids SoH all of have substantial updates coming next year with DLC for Pokemon S/V likely being announced early next year as well.
 
If true, this goes back to people roasting leakers online. How can you claim a leak is wrong just because it doesn't come to fruition? If you ever worked a job, you know that ideas and shit are always tossed around, some end up going to market and others do not. I'm glad to know this at least a concept of some sort, and will wait for the true successor to launch.
 
Just think of how cool the ‘real’ Switch 2 will be.

The hype starts right here:

Series S power
DLSS 4.0
Higher Res screen (1080p min)
Likely move on from the OG joy con
 
SpookyTango said:
Nintendo is not going to base their business around whatever the enthusiast media wants. They already have committed to long term updates for most of their biggest 2022 titles + Mario Kart 8 stuff. Splatoon 3, Xenoblade 3, Mario + Rabbids SoH all of have substantial updates coming next year with DLC for Pokemon S/V likely being announced early next year as well.
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Yeah, the absurd amount of DLC coming next year is very telling

People really think they're gonna drop new hardware while all these currently released games are still getting a ton of support? It makes way more sense to think that Nintendo planned all that knowing that their next console won't drop until after it's all finished
 
All this absurdity for the last couple years about a Switch Pro amounted to nothing then. Losses should've been cut on this rumor after the OLED reveal.
 
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